Back in November, Disney released a brand new British original limited series called “Culprits” as a Star Original on Disney+ in some European countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland. The following month, the show was released as a Hulu Original on Hulu in the United States and on Star+ in Latin America.

However, unlike most Hulu/Star Originals, this series wasn’t given a global release on Disney’s own platforms.  Instead, the show has been released on different platforms in some countries.  Last month, “Culprits” was released on StackTV in Canada and in Australia, the series will be released on SBS on January 11th 2024. 

“Culprits” kicks off where most crime stories end: after a high-stakes heist, when the crew of elite criminals have gone their separate ways and have tried to leave their old lives behind. Past and present collide when a ruthless assassin starts targeting them one by one. Why are they being stalked, who is behind the mayhem, and will they be able to find one another in time to protect themselves and the people they love?

Occasionally, Disney licenses several series and films to different streaming platforms to raise additional revenue.  And sometimes, new seasons of established shows go to other platforms due to long-standing contracts, but this would be unlikely for “Culprits” since it is a brand-new limited series.

Hopefully, Disney doesn’t start licensing out some of its international originals to different countries, and this is just a one-off as an experiment, but it explains why the show wasn’t given a global release.

The series stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Generation”, “Candyman”), Gemma Arterton (“The King’s Man”, “Summerland”), Niamh Algar (“Deceit”, “Raised by Wolves”), Kirby (“Cruella” “The Good Place”), Kamel El Basha (“The Insult”), Tara Abboud, Kevin Vidal (“Strays”, “Working Moms”), Ned Dennehy (“The Peripheral”, “Good Omens”), and Eddie Izzard (“Victoria and Abdul”, “Six Minutes to Midnight”).

“Culprits” is executive produced by Stephen Garrett & J Blakeson, created by J Blakeson, directed by J Blakeson and Claire Oakley (“Make Up”) and produced by Morenike Williams (“Killing Eve”).

The show is created by Character 7 production and is executive produced by Johanna Devereaux for Disney+.  So it’s not a show specially created by one of Disney’s own studios like ABC or 20th Television, which might be why the show wasn’t released on Disney+ in Canada and Australia.

What do you think of Disney releasing “Culprits” on different platforms?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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